From Cancer Warrior to Cannabis Trailblazer: How Marianne Cursetjee Is Fighting for Wellness, Regulation, and a Cultural Shift
A Diagnosis That Sparked a Mission
When Marianne Cursetjee was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, she never imagined the diagnosis would become a doorway, not just into healing, but into purpose.
Chemo. Radiation. Exhaustion. It was the kind of journey that shifts your center of gravity. But in the middle of the pain, something unexpected happened: a friend offered her a cannabis product to help with the side effects. And it worked—really worked.
“I wanted everybody to at least have the choice and have the option to have some high-quality cannabis to help heal their lives,” Marianne shared.
That moment sparked the seed of what would become Alibi, a woman-owned brand rooted in advocacy, education, and radically clean cannabis.
Today, Marianne isn’t just a cancer survivor—she’s a fighter for the people, challenging stigma and pushing through the thickets of cannabis regulation to bring patients and everyday consumers something better.
Healing in a System That’s Broken
For too long, healing in America has looked like a prescription pad.
Diagnoses are met with pills. Emotional pain is pathologized. Side effects are expected and accepted.
But what happens when the system doesn’t work for you? When does the body want alternatives? When the spirit asks for something more holistic, something more natural, something… ancient?
That’s the tension Marianne stepped into.
During her cancer treatment, she felt the side effects stacking up—nausea, restlessness, and emotional toll. She had followed every instruction. She trusted the doctors. But something was missing.
Then came cannabis. “To my surprise, it worked wonders,” she recalled. “That moment planted the seed.”
But Marianne quickly realized that most people didn’t have the luxury of access, especially not to safe, regulated, high-quality cannabis. The market was flooded with misinformation, black-market products, and stigma.
“Why are we doing this?” she asked. “We’re here to improve lives.”
A Mission Paved with Barriers
With her healing came a calling. Marianne and her family bought land in Oregon, built a farm, and launched Alibi —not as a trendy brand, but as a public service.
But stepping into the cannabis industry came with its own fight.
“It just doesn’t make sense from a traditional business perspective,” Marianne explained. “We’re trying to provide safe products and protect minors, but we’re operating in a system with 60–70% effective tax rates and unpredictable banking.”
Dispensaries are often penalized under tax code 280E, leaving little room for profitability. Even successful cannabis businesses get their bank accounts frozen without notice.
“People don’t realize the headwinds we’re working against,” Marianne said. “But what keeps us going is the why.”
And then, there’s the cultural stigma.
Even today, Marianne spends much of her time educating the public. Misconceptions about cannabis persist—especially for people outside wellness bubbles.
“This plant helps with anxiety, sleep, depression, physical recovery, even social connection,” she explained. “It’s not about replacing Western medicine—it’s about enhancing it. It’s about giving people options.”
That’s where Alibi becomes more than a product line. It becomes a movement.
Headwinds, Tailwinds, and the Relentless Flight Toward Impact
Every entrepreneur faces friction, but in cannabis, it can feel like flying against a storm.
“When people talk about businesses or projects, they talk about headwinds and tailwinds,” Marianne explained. “Tailwinds are the things that push you along and help you move forward. Headwinds are the forces in your face trying to hold you back.”
And in the cannabis industry?
“The cannabis space is filled with headwinds,” she said. “The risks. The regulations. The banking issues. We've had so many bank accounts shut down. I could go on and on.”
For those unfamiliar, headwinds in business are those external pressures that resist progress, everything from excessive regulation to industry stigma. In Alibi case, those headwinds include:
Punishing tax rates upwards of 60–70%, making financial sustainability a constant battle.
Ever-shifting regulations that vary by state and local jurisdictions make compliance complex and costly.
Banking restrictions that force cannabis businesses to operate in a quasi-cash economy and risk sudden account closures.
Persistent cultural stigma that still causes users to feel ashamed, even when cannabis is legal, therapeutic, and transformative.
It’s not just friction. It’s a head-on gust that never stops blowing.
And yet, Marianne keeps going. Not because the skies are clear, but because there’s a tailwind strong enough to keep her lifted.
That tailwind is her mission.
It’s the purpose she found after cancer. It’s the stories from customers who say, “Your flower is what gets me through the week.” It’s the chance to be part of something bigger than herself: a cultural shift where plant medicine is normalized, respected, and accessible.
“The tailwind is our why,” Marianne said. “We’re here to improve lives. We have a vision of using plant medicine without being judged for it.”
That vision is what steadies the flight. Even when regulations feel punishing. Even when systems make no sense. Even when progress is slow and costly.
Alibi was never meant to be an easy ride. It was built to move through headwinds—and make healing possible anyway.
And that’s what makes it so powerful.
Reframing Cannabis, One Story at a Time
At the heart of Alibi is a mission to reframe how people think about cannabis.
To shift the conversation from criminalization to care. From shame to science. From "stoner culture" to soul-centered wellness.
And it’s working.
Every week, Marianne hears stories from customers whose lives have changed:
The chronic pain patient who sleeps through the night.
The parent who finally feels calm enough to be present with their kids.
The cancer survivor, like her, who no longer feels like healing has to hurt.
To capture the brand's spirit, Alibi created Mariposa—a fairy-like figure appearing on their packaging and website. Her name means “butterfly” in Spanish, and she holds a pipe with confidence and grace.
“She embodies the beauty and transformation cannabis brings into people’s lives,” Marianne explained. “The plant is female. We’re a women-owned company. Mariposa represents that divine feminine energy—strong, graceful, and unapologetic.”
This isn't just branding—it’s activism through aesthetics. A new narrative in a heavily policed, highly regulated space.
Marianne said it best:
“We have a vision of using plant medicine without being judged for it.”
“This Is What Gets Me Through the Week”—The Human Impact Behind Cannabis
While navigating regulations, fighting stigma, and pushing for a cultural shift are all part of Marianne Cursetjee’s daily work, it’s the one-on-one moments with customers that bring the deepest fulfillment.
At one of Alibi pop-up ambassador events, Marianne met a customer whose words still echo in her heart. The woman shared that she worked a physically demanding job and that no prescription or over-the-counter remedy had provided the relief she needed, except cannabis.
“Your pre-rolls and flower... that’s what gets me through the week,” the customer told her.
Marianne recalled the exchange with emotion, explaining:
“That story just really encapsulated everything we’re doing—why we grow, why we care about quality, why we push through the challenges. This is what it's about.”
These stories aren’t anomalies—they are daily affirmations that the work being done at Alibi’s farm has a tangible, powerful impact on real people’s lives. From managing chronic pain to easing anxiety, cannabis is more than a product—it’s a lifeline. And for Marianne, those personal connections are the most rewarding part of the entire journey.
The Warrior’s Mindset — What Cancer and Krav Maga Taught Her
Behind every movement is a leader who’s done the inner work. For Marianne, that work started with Krav Maga.
“It’s not even considered a martial art,” she laughed. “They get really offended when you call it that. It’s a fighting skill—designed for street fighting and to protect your family.”
After her diagnosis, she walked into the gym bald and exhausted—but committed.
“I started barely able to run a lap. But the community embraced me,” she recalled. “That physical and mental resilience carried me through chemo—and it carries me now as an entrepreneur.”
What began as survival training became strength training. Marianne didn’t just beat cancer—she rebuilt herself from the inside out.
That same grit fuels her through the regulatory red tape, the misconception.
Marianne’s message for Health and Wellness Entrepreneurs
Marianne's journey offers invaluable insights for fellow entrepreneurs in the health and wellness sector:
Lead with Purpose: Authenticity resonates. Marianne emphasized,
“You can’t survive entrepreneurship unless it means something to you.”Educate Continuously: Despite growing acceptance, misconceptions about cannabis persist. Ongoing education is crucial to shift narratives and inform consumers.
Embrace Resilience: Drawing from Krav Maga, Marianne learned that challenges are inevitable, but perseverance is key.
Build Community: Fostering a supportive network, much like her Krav Maga community, can provide strength and encouragement during challenging times.
Advocate for Change: Beyond business, Marianne sees herself as part of a larger cultural shift towards holistic wellness and acceptance of alternative therapies.
A Legacy of Empowerment and Healing
At MBNews, we don’t just cover wellness trends. We follow the rebels. The visionaries. The practitioners who are fighting for more than profits—they’re fighting for people.
Marianne Cursetjee is one of those people.
She’s not just growing cannabis. She’s cultivating cultural change.
She’s not just running a company. She’s running toward a future where plant medicine is safe, accessible, and respected.
If you’re a fellow practitioner, health leader, or entrepreneur with a calling to create something bigger than yourself, let this story be your reminder:
You don’t have to follow the rules. You just have to follow the truth.
“We’re here to improve lives.”
And that’s the kind of leadership the wellness world needs now more than ever.
Through Alibi Cannabis, she champions a vision where plant medicine is embraced, not stigmatized. Her journey underscores the power of resilience, purpose, and community in driving meaningful change.
Join the conversation and explore more stories of innovation and empowerment at MBNews.live.
Want to Learn More About Alibi Cannabis?
💚 Visit alibi.co 📍 Available in Oregon and now in New York
🧚♀️ Meet Mariposa and explore their flower, vapes, and more
💬 Follow the journey @alibi.ny and @alibi.oregon
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